My Recent Sephora Trip

Every year, we take a trip to Illinois in the summer, when it is sane to do so, so that the girls can hang out with their Illinois cousins, aunts and grandparents, and every year, we make a point of going into Chicago. This year we spent an entire weekend there, without the girls, who stayed with my husband's wonderful parents. And every year I go to Sephora and spend at least a solid hour there - more if I have it - updating my makeup bag with new finds and old favorites. Here's what I picked up this year:

Stila Illuminating Powder Foundation in 60 Watts, and compact
Stila blush in rose
Stila lipstick in Sonya
Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer in Dark
Laura Mercier Baby Lips
Laura Mercier Nude Lips
Bare Escentuals Buxom Beauty Mascara
Sephora Brand Manicure Kit
Tweezerman Pink Deluxe Nail Clipper

So fun! I'm still testing a couple of the new products, so look for reviews in upcoming blogs!

Current Obsessions

My sister and I are always on a shopping kick. The only thing that changes is what we are shopping for. These are my current obsessions:

Fable Lore: Chic, comfy, innovative clothing for kids with details that change color in the sun. Lola has a dress and leggings with lace trim that goes from white to pink when exposed to UV light.

Undrest Lingerie: Cotton, comfy and still sexy-cute, I have stocked up one their chemises, sleepshirts, and even a long hooded nightgown that is chic and not at all frumpy. Girly details turn casual cotton into something much more fun.

Kids shoes from Petit, Pomme d'Api and Moki: I'm a little obsessed with European shoes for my girls. Goegeous details, colorful designs and amazing quality.

The Best Bra Fitting Ever

On Saturday, while Kevin and I spent a romantic weekend away from the girls in Chicago (they stayed with Grandma and Grandpa in the suburbs), I went to a store called Intimacy on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Intimacy is a lingerie store specializing in bra fittings. They actually label themselves Bra Fit Stylists. The Chicago location is one of eight nationwide, and if there's one near you - get there as quickly as possible. I highly recommend it. But be prepared. They call their bra fitting technique holistic. No tape measures, no formulas. They use their hands. But in two seconds, Veronica Lopez sized me up and concluded that I was a 30-32 C. At first, I was skeptical. I used to be a 32 C, but I didn't believe I could still fill a C cup. After nursing two girls, my breasts are, to put it mildly, deflated. And I consider it a tragedy. I am really bummed about it. And then Veronica returned to the dressing room with more than a dozen gorgeous bras, from beautiful basics to sexy lace bras, from brands like Chantelle, Simone Perele, Marie Jo, and Aventure by Marie Jo. Here's what I learned:

1. When you put on your bra, you should bend over at the waist so that your breasts fall into the cups and then fasten the clasp. Reach into the bra to lift your breasts into position, but do not use the lace to handle the bra. Use the wire part.
2. Do not use harsh synthetic detergents on your bras. Use a baby detergent, an organic detergent, or a specialty lingerie detergent. Bras can be washed in the washing machine as long as they are in a mesh lingerie bag. Fasten clasps before washing. Always air dry - don't throw your bras in the washing machine.
3. Rotate your bras. Allow at least one day of rest before rewearing to get maximum life out of your bra.
4. When storing bras, lay them flat, with the cups up. Do not put one cup into the other. This can cause little bumps or ridges in the cup. If you do get some bumps in the cup of your molded bra, try steaming it to remove them.
5. Bras can be altered, just like any other piece of clothing. For example, on me, the Chantelle Bra in 32C had a band that was just a little too long and needed to be taken in to fit properly.

I walked out with 4 bras:
The Le Mystere Francesca all over lace bra in Nude $75 link

Marie Jo L'Aventure "Neal" bra in Peach Melba (with tiny white polka dots), $109

link

Chantelle Africa strapless bra in Nude link

Marie Jo L'Aventure Tom multiway bra in Cafe Latte (Nude) - can be worn as a halter bra as well, $100 link

AHA's vs Anti-Aging Products

This blog is for Anonymous, who asked me the difference between an AHA and an Anti-Aging Product. AHA's are essentially exfoliators. Depending on their strength (percentage of AHA in the product) they can exfoliate your skin either gradually or quickly. AHAs help the texture, tone and clarity of your skin by helping it to function more normally. When you shed dead skin cells, you reveal fresher, younger skin beneath, and that skin functions more optimally, like it did when you were younger.

Anti-Aging Products is a very broad, loosely defined category that can include, but is not limited to, AHAs, Vitamin C and other antioxidant creams, serums, retinol and retinoid products, moisturizers, etc. Basically, any product designed to make you look more youthful. This is not a category I created - it's a device of the beauty industry, and I chose the Anti-Aging Products that I reviewed based on the claims that the products made. In other words, they claimed to be anti-agers, so I reviewed them based on those claims.

Any product that can make your skin look fresher, better and more youthful qualifies as an antiager.

My OWN Flat Belly Plan

For the last few months, since I got my IUD, I have been carrying an additional 5 pounds - very unusual for a woman who has weighed the same since she was 16. And those five pounds seem to have found a permanent home in my belly. I've been so depressed about it that I'd been asking around about plastic surgeons... Until I saw my sister. I knew I couldn't justify going under the knife without at least giving diet and exercise a try. Although I don't need to lose weight, I do need to tone my abs. The combination of two babies, a few extra pounds, and my IBS acting up has made it worse than ever. And since, whenever I go on a self-improvement kick I wind up biting off more than I can possibly handle, I am starting small. This week, my goal is to start with the minimum amount of exercise: 20 minutes on the elliptical machine 3x a week. Every other week, I will add something else to my routine, from an additional day of exercise to dietary changes. And I'll post my results here.

You've already seen my post-baby body in a previous blog, so I will spare you the gory details. Instead, I will post my (gasp!) measurements, and update them as they change!

Weight: 99 pounds
Waist: 31" around the belly button, when I push it way out. It makes me want to cry.

I've already had my first workout this morning, so I'm on my way!

The Post-Baby Body Makeover: An inspirational story

Just a few days ago, I found myself at a beach picnic with my always gorgeous, ever-stylish sister. As she pulled out matching pink bento boxes for her three daughters (can we say Supermom?), I couldn't help but noticing her black-bikini-clad body. Even though she has three daughters 6 and under, it had never, ever looked better. Her post-baby belly had always been flat, but now it was washboard-firm. She even had six pack! A six pack! And her legs were trim and toned and flawless. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I asked her to spill her secrets. Apparently, she'd been holding back. Here's what she had to say:

1. Cut out sweets: Nelly has always been a sweet tooth, but she has an amazing amount of willpower, and she cut out sweets entirely. The only sugar that she has these days is a little honey in her tea or coffee.
2. Eat tons of fruit and veggies: Instead of her usual chocolate fix, these days she satisfies her sweet tooth with lots and lots of fruit. Frozen grapes are a favorite. And she fills up on lots of veggies at dinner time.
3. Pack a snack: Everywhere she goes, Nelly carries a small bag of nuts to snack on whenever she gets hungry. It keeps her from reaching for something sinful when she needs a boost of energy.
4. Stick to lean protein: Nelly claims that she eats a lot of protein, mostly chicken and fish, at dinner, because it fills her up.
5. Cut back on carbs: While she still does eat some carbs, like a bowl of cereal or some brown rice, she gets the bulk of her calories from fruits, veggies and protein.
6. Allow yourself one indulgence: Always a chocoholic, Nelly's only vice these days is a handful of dark chocolate chips.
7. Exercise, exercise, exercise: Every day, she puts two of her daughters into a jogging stroller and sprints to the nearby preschool. And at home, she does push-ups and planks for resistance training.

What an inspiration! I am so motivated by my sister that I have finally decided to embark on my own body makeover. It's long overdue... I'll keep you posted!

Back to Blogging - What's Coming Up

I apologize for my extended hiatus. Due to technical difficulties, I was forced to stop blogging for a few weeks, but I'm back, and I have so many exciting blogs planned for the next few weeks, including:
1. Get Your Body Back: A Mother of Three's Inspirational Tale
2. Reviews of Novena, the first comprehensive organic facial skincare line for pregnancy
3. Sun solutions for kids
4. Baby Steps: The small measures I'm taking to get back in shape
5. Etsy: A mom's guide to finding one-of-a-kind clothing and decor
6. Chicago shopping guide

And so much more!